ATLANTA – This Mets bullpen needs more seven-and eight-inning outings from the starters. Most of the members, in their frustrated fans’ view, need to be on another team next year, and until then might need to take the mound with a helmet for protection against batted balls and flak from the media.

What this bullpen does not need, however, is to have to get four outs in an inning. But when it took Oliver Perez 109 pitches to go six, and Nelson Figueroa, inheriting a 5-4 Mets lead, did what he was supposed to do. He got pinch-hitter Brandon Jones to lead off by bouncing to Jose Reyes, and the shortstop was supposed to get the ball to Carlos Delgado on the fly.

Reyes did not. And because Delgado is not Keith Hernandez, Jones was on first on his way to third when Figueroa yielded another soft ground ball, this one hit by Martin Prado to the left of Luis Castillo. Because the second baseman has about as much range as a Mets fan has confidence that everything will be alright in the end, the ball rolled through, then under Ryan Church, enabling Jones to score and Prado to go to second, where he advanced to third on a fly ball off Ricardo Rincon.

The last thing a Mets fan next wanted to see, after the tie score, was Aaron Heilman. But interim manager Jerry Manuel called for the right-hander to walk pinch-hitter Greg Norton, then Heilman faced Omar Infante.

Imagine the surprise, perhaps even Heilman’s, when Infante swung over a sinker for strike three. Imagine the relief when Pedro Feliciano then got Casey Kotchman to roll weakly to Delgado. Imagine the Mets, because Manuel made every right move and all four relievers used in that inning made practically every right pitch, in playoff position by 2 1/2 games with nine to go.

But they were, after the Phillies and Brewers both got hammered, after Daniel Murphy’s two-run double unleashed a four-run eighth, after Brian Stokes faced only seven batters in the eighth and ninth.

“For Aaron Heilman to get that out was not only big for us, but for him, too,” Manuel said. “You could recognize the change in the flow of the game.”

The Hudson River flows south, and Mets fans would like to see Heilman going with it, on a barge, out of their lives. But that’s not happening for at least nine more games, because this is the only bullpen Manuel has – battered, beleaguered and despite it all, still determined.

Asked before the game if he was concerned about the workload, Manuel said, “I have no idea where they are. I know we have 10 games left.”

And this bullpen knows that, too. “There have been times that with a groin or something, they have said they would be a little iffy, but nobody has asked not to have the ball because of a tired arm,” Manuel said. “They have been more than willing.

“That’s a great comment and they deserve to hear it.”

Heilman can’t help but hear the antithesis of that. But he got maybe the biggest out of the season so far, until there is a bigger one tonight.

“Nullifies everything in my entire season and career,” he said wryly, even giving himself a boo. “You have to have a short-term memory, good or bad. Somedays, it’s easier than others, but it’s one of those things you have to do.”

Some of the same guys figure to have to do it again tonight with Pedro Martinez not exactly a candidate to go eight. But then, it’s not supposed to be easy this time of year. Out by tortured out, the Mets fearlessly inch closer.